And the multitude rose up together against them: and the magistrates rent off their clothes, and commanded to beat them. And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailor to keep them safely: Who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks. And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them. And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one’s bands were loosed. And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled. But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here. Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas, And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house. And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway. And when he had brought them into his house, he set meat before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house (Acts 16:22–34, KJV).
Changing the Atmosphere
Paul and Silas wound up in prison for preaching the Gospel of Jesus and for casting a devil out of a woman. While they were in prison, they prayed and praised God, and their chains were loosed. They didn’t just bring victory to themselves, but everyone in the prison! Because of the anointing of the Holy Ghost, they were able to change the entire atmosphere of the prison in which they were kept.
Reaching a Household
There was an underlying reason why Paul and Silas found themselves in the inner prison that day. There was a jailer they had to reach. But, it wasn’t just him, it was also his household. God isn’t looking just to reach one to two people; He’s moving upon households! In order for God to operate according to His Word in our own household, we need to take a look at our house.
What Should Be in Our House
Prayer
When Paul and Silas were cast into prison, the first thing they did was pray (Acts 16:25). Prayer will change the atmosphere of our home! We need to lift up our spouses, children, and extended family before the Lord continually. We shouldn’t worry about anything, but make every request known unto God in prayer (Philippians 4:6).
Praise
A fresh sacrifice of praise should be in our home and with us everywhere we go. God became upset with Israel because the heart of their worship had left and they were going through the motions (Isaiah 1:11–14). Our praise to God cannot be a ritual, but new unto God—in our song, dance, and our complete praise!
Salvation
When the jailer saw that the earthquake came after prayer and praise, he knew something supernatural was at work. He asked Paul and Silas what he needed to do to be saved (Acts 16:27–33). They preached the message of salvation (Acts 2:38–39) and his entire household believed and rose to be baptized. If salvation is in our home it will continue to perpetuate to those around our home and extended family. The salvation of God and infilling of the Holy Ghost will transcend all boundaries!
